BUS SERVICE TO CHRISTCHURCH TO START NEXT WEEK

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 August 1949, Page 2

BUS SERVICE TO CHRISTCHURCH TO START NEXT WEEK

The New -Zealand Railways Road Services will commence its overland bus service from Hokitika to Christchurch via the Lewis Pass on Monday but a single fare from Greymouth to. Christchurch will cost intending pas-’ sejjgers/almost three times as much as a second-class ticket by rail. The’ return fare is correspondingly higher. The service, a licence for which was granted by the Transport Licensing Authority almost two months ago, will operate on only three days a week—the days on which expresses do not operate. The bus from Hokitika will connect with the bus, which maintains the present service between Westport and Christchurch, at Reefton and passengers frbm this end of the district will be required to tranship at Reef ton. Longer Journey While the new bus service is expected to overcome a number of inconveniences experienced with the present rail services, the bus trip will take almost an hour longer than the rail journey, arriving in Christchurch 35 minutes after the scheduled time of the express. The bus will leave Hokitika at 8 a.m. on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays and is due to depart from Greymouth at 9 a.m. It is scheduled to reach Reefton at 10.45 a.m. where a connection will be made with the service from Westport. The bus will leave Reefton at 11 a.m. arriving at Christchurch at 5.35 p.m. A similar time-table will operate from Christchurch, leaving that city at 7.45 a.m. and reaching Hokitika at 5.15 p.m. Fares Are High Compared with the cost of travelling by rail, the fares for the new bus service are relatively high. A single fare from Greymouth to Christchurch will cost £2 4s 9d compared with 16s for a second-class single fare by rail, while the return fare is £3 18s 6d compared with £1 9s 9d. . The fare from Hokitika is £2 8s 3d single and £4 4s 9d return. The cost of travelling between Hokitika and Greymouth and Reefton is moderate, however, the respective charges being:—Hokitika, single 13s 9d, return £1 4s 9d; Greymouth, single 10s 3d, return 18s 6d. It is interesting to note that a .firstclass fare to Christchurch by rail is cheaper than the bus fare. A single ticket at present costs £ 1 3s 9d while a return first-class rail .fare is £2 4s 3d. Reservations Necessary Until the service is successfully inaugurated the Road Services is unable to say what size bus will be needed to accommodate prospective passengers from Hokitika and Greymouth to connect with the service at Reefton. It was stated today, however, that accommodation is limited and intending passengers will be required to reserve their seats. There is no reservation fee and seats may be booked at Greymouth as well as at. Hokitika.